Forget about the hair!

Forget about the towering afros. It would be a musical tragedy if the BROTHERS JOHNSON were only known for big hair.
It would also be a great disservice if people only looked back on their career as the launching pad of producer QUINCY JONES, later to break all records with Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
No, George "Lightnin' Licks" Johnson and his brother Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson should be remembered for some FABULOUSLY FUNKY SONGS.
I have been listening to the Brothers Johnson "Greatest Hits" CD for the past couple days.
There are some great hits:
"Ain't We Funkin' Now" and "Stomp" are real, head-shaking (or is that hip-shaking?) funk workouts. Great songs for walking on the treadmill or even shoveling snow.
"I'll Be Good to You" is effortlessly catchy. Of course, it helped immeasurably to have Jones producing.
Then, there is the curious case of "Strawberry Letter 23."
I absolutely ADORE the Shuggie Otis original of "Strawberry Letter 23." I can list it in my Top-25 ALL-TIME favorite songs without hesitation.
The Brothers Johnson, of course, hit No. 5 on the pop charts with their cover of "Strawberry Letter 23" in 1977.
It's the first version of the song I heard, probably as a kid listening to KFRC in the San Francisco suburbs.
The brothers do a fine job with the song, thanks to help like the BRILLIANT GUITAR SOLO by LEE RITENOUR.
I still like Shuggie's version better, but their "Strawberry Letter 23" is a reason why I hope the Brothers Johnson are remembered for much more than big hair.